Homilies on John 56.1–56.3

“As he passed by, Jesus saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?’” “As he passed by, Jesus saw a man blind from birth.” Being exceedingly loving toward humankind, caring for our salvation, and wishing to stop the mouths of the ungrateful, he omits nothing of what is his to do, even if there is no one who pays attention. The prophet too, knowing this, said, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.” For this reason here too, since they had not received the loftiness of his words, but had even called him possessed and tried to kill him, he went out of the temple and healed a blind man, both soothing their anger by his absence and softening their hardness and harshness by working the sign, and confirming what he had said. And he works a sign that was not ordinary, but then happened for the first time. “Since the world began,” it says, “it has not been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind.” Someone perhaps had opened the eyes of a blind man, but not of one born blind. And that on going out of the temple he came to the work on purpose is clear from this: he himself saw the blind man; the blind man did not come to him; and he looked so earnestly that even the disciples noticed. From this, at any rate, they came to their question. For seeing him attending earnestly, they asked, saying, “Who sinned, this man or his parents?” The question is mistaken. For how could he have sinned before he was born? And how, if his parents sinned, would he have been punished? From where, then, did they come to this question? Before this, when he healed the paralytic, he said, “See, you have become well; sin no more.” So they, understanding that that man had been paralyzed because of sin, say: “Granted, that man was paralyzed because of sins; but what would you say about this one? Did he sin? But one cannot say that of him, for he is blind from birth. Then his parents? But not this either; for a child does not pay the penalty for his father.” So, as when we see a child suffering we say, “What could one say about this? What has the child done?”, not asking but expressing perplexity, so too the disciples said this not so much asking as being at a loss. What then does Christ say? “Neither this man sinned, nor his parents.” He says this not to free them from sins (for he did not simply say, “Neither this man sinned, nor his parents,” but added, “that he should be born blind”); for this man too sinned, and his parents; but the blindness, he says, is not from that. He said this not to indicate that, though this man was not blinded in this way, others were blinded from these causes, because of their parents’ sins. For it is not possible for one person to be punished when another sins. For if we grant this, we shall grant that other point too, that he sinned before birth. So as in saying, “Neither this man sinned,” he does not mean that it is possible to sin from birth and be punished, so in saying, “nor his parents,” he did not mean that it is possible to be punished because of one’s parents. For through Ezekiel too he removes this supposition: “As I live, says the Lord, this proverb shall no longer be used: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’” And Moses too says, “A father shall not be put to death for a child.” And of a certain king it says that for this reason he did not do this, keeping the law. And if anyone says, “How then is it said, ‘visiting the sins of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation’?”, we would say this: that the statement is not universal, but is said of some of those who came out of Egypt. What it means is this: “Since those who came out of Egypt, after the signs and the wonders, became worse than their forefathers, who had seen none of these things, they will suffer,” he says, “the same things that those suffered, since they dared the same things.” And that this was said of them anyone will know who attends more carefully to the passage. Why then was he born blind? “That the glory of God might be made manifest,” he says. Here again is another difficulty, if it was not possible for the glory of God to appear without this man’s punishment. In the first place, it is not said that it was not possible (for it was possible), but that it might be made manifest in this man too. “What then,” someone says, “was he wronged for the sake of God’s glory?” What wrong, tell me? For what if he had not wished to bring him into being at all? But I say that he was even benefited by his blindness; for [he recovered his sight in the eyes within]. For what profit had the Jews from their eyes? They had a greater punishment, being blinded while they saw. And what harm had this man from his blindness? For through it he received his sight. As, then, the evils of the present life are not evils, so neither are its goods good; but sin alone is evil, and blindness is not an evil. And he who brought him from non-being into being had authority to leave him as he was. Some say that this conjunction is not one of cause but of consequence, as when he says, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” Yet he did not come for this, that those who see might become blind. And again Paul: “For what can be known about God is plain [to them …] so that they are without excuse.” Yet he did not show it to them so that they might be deprived of excuse, but so that they might have an excuse. And again, “[The law came in, so that] the trespass [might increase].” Yet it did not come in for this, but so that sin might be checked. Do you see that everywhere the conjunction is one of consequence? For just as an excellent builder completes part of a house and leaves part unfinished, so that by what is left he may give proof to those who disbelieve about the whole, so God too, as with a house that has become decayed, fastens our body together and fills up what is lacking: healing the withered hand, [restoring] the maimed, cleansing the lepers, raising up the sick, making whole those maimed in their legs, calling the dead back from death, opening eyes that were closed, putting in eyes that did not exist; by correcting all these defects that come from the weakness of nature, he showed his power. And in saying, “That the glory of God might be made manifest,” he speaks of himself, not of the Father; for the Father’s glory was manifest. For since they had heard that God made man by taking dust from the earth, for this reason he too fashioned in the same way. For to say, “I am the one who took dust from the earth and fashioned man,” seemed a hard saying to those who heard; but when this was shown by the deed, they no longer resisted. So he himself took dust and mixed it with spittle, and thus made manifest his hidden glory. For it was no small glory to be thought the Creator of the creation. For from this the other things followed too; from the part the whole also was confirmed. For faith in the greater received the lesser too. For man is more precious than all creation, and among our members the eye is more precious. That is why he made the eyes not simply, but in that manner. For though the member is small in size, it is more necessary than the whole body. And Paul, making this plain, said, “If the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I am not part of the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body.” For everything in us is a proof of the wisdom of God, but much more the eye. This, at any rate, steers the whole body; this produces beauty for the whole body; this adorns the face; this is the lamp of all the members. For what the sun is in the world, the eye is in the body. If you put out the sun, [you destroy and confound] everything; [so too if you put out the eyes, the mind is useless], and feet and hands and soul. For knowledge is gone when these are maimed; for through them we have come to know God. “For his invisible attributes, since the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood through the things that are made.” So the eye is a lamp not only to the body, but, before the body, to the soul. That is why it is set as in a royal place, having received the upper station and presiding over the other senses. This, then, he fashions. Then, so that you may not think that he needs material when he makes, and so that you may learn that he had no need of clay even at the beginning (for he who brought into being the greater substances that did not exist would much more have made this without material), so that you may learn, then, that he does this not from need, but teaching that he is the Creator who was in the beginning, he anoints the clay and says, “Go, wash,” “so that you may know that I do not need clay to make eyes, but that my glory may be made manifest in him.” For that he was speaking of himself when he said, “That the glory of God might be made manifest,” he added: “I must work the works of him who sent me,” that is, “I must make myself manifest and do the things that can show that I do the same things as the Father”: not similar things, but the same, which is a greater sign of exact likeness, and is said of those who differ not even a little. Who then will look askance any longer, seeing that he can do the same things as the Father? For he not only fashioned eyes, nor only opened them, but also gave the power of sight; which is a proof that he also breathed in the soul. For if it is not active, the eye, even if it is perfectly formed, would never see anything. So he gave the activity that comes from the soul too, and gave the member complete with everything: arteries, nerves, veins, blood, and all the other things of which our body is composed. “I must work while it is day.” What do these words mean? What connection do they have? Much. What he means is this: “While it is day, while it is possible for people to believe in me, while this life lasts, I must work.” “Night is coming,” that is, the time to come, “when no one can work.” He did not say, “when I cannot work,” but “when no one can work,” that is, when there is no longer faith, nor labors, nor repentance. For that he calls faith a work, [it is clear from this]: they say to him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” He says, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” How then can no one work this work then? Because there is no faith then, but willing and unwilling they will obey. For so that no one may say that he does this out of ambition, he shows that he does everything sparing them, since only here do they have the power to believe, and can no longer reap any fruit there. That is why he did what he did even though the blind man had not come to him. For that he was worthy to be healed, and that if he had seen he would have believed and come, and that if he had heard from someone that he was present, he would not have neglected it even so, is clear from what follows, from his courage, from his very faith. For it was natural for him to reflect and say, “What can this be? He made clay, and smeared my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go, wash.’ Could he not have healed me, and then sent me to Siloam? I have often washed there with many others, and received no benefit. If he had any power, he would have healed me while present.” This is what Naaman said to Elisha. For he too, when told to go and bathe in the Jordan, disbelieved, and that though there was such great fame about Elisha. But the blind man did not disbelieve, nor contradict, nor reason with himself, “What can this be? Should clay be put on? This is rather to blind. Who ever received sight in this way?” But he reasoned none of these things. Do you see a firm faith and eagerness? “Night is coming.” He shows by this that even after the cross he will provide for the ungodly and draw many to himself. For it is still day; but after this he cuts them off completely. And to show this he said, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world,” which he also said to others: “Believe while the light is with you.”

Why then did Paul call the present life night, and that life day? Not contradicting Christ, but saying the same things, if not in words, then in meaning. For he says, “The night is far gone, the day is at hand.” [He calls] the present time night because of those who sit in darkness, or because it is compared with that day; but Christ calls the future night because there is no working off of sins then. Paul calls the present life night because those who spend their time in wickedness and unbelief are in darkness. So, speaking to believers, he said, “The night is far gone, the day is at hand,” since they were about to enjoy that light; and he calls the old life night. “Let us cast off,” he says, “the works of darkness.” Do you see that he says it is night for those others? That is why he says, “Let us walk decently as in the day,” so that we may enjoy that light. For if this light is so beautiful, consider how great that will be. For as much as the light of the sun surpasses that of a lamp, so much, and far more, is that better than this. And to show this he said, “The sun will be darkened,” that is, because of the abundance of that radiance, not even this will appear. And if now, to have bright and airy houses, [we spend] countless sums, consider how we ought to spend even our bodies themselves, so that bright houses may be built for us in heaven, where that unspeakable light is. For here there are fights and quarrels about boundaries and walls; but there is nothing of the kind there: no envy, no [malice, no one goes to law about boundaries]. And this house you must certainly leave, but that one remains with you forever; and this one must decay with time and be subject to countless [accidents], but that one remains ageless forever; and this one the poor man cannot build, but that one can be built even with two obols, as the widow did. That is why I am choked with grief, that when such great goods lie before us, we are slack and negligent, and do everything to have splendid houses here, but take no thought, no care, to acquire in heaven even a small lodging. For tell me, where would you wish to have a house here? In a desert, or in one of the small towns? I do not think so; but in the most royal and great cities, where there is more trade, where there is greater splendor. But I lead you to a city of which God is the architect and builder. There I urge you to found and build, with less money and less toil. That house is built by the hands of the poor; and this above all is building, whereas what is done now belongs to the utmost folly. For if someone led you to the land of Persia to see the things there and return, and then bade you build houses, would you not condemn him of the utmost folly, for bidding you spend to no purpose? How then do you do this very thing on earth, which you will shortly leave? “But I leave it to my children,” someone says. But they too will shortly [depart] after you, and often even before you; and those after them again. And here too the matter becomes an occasion of despondency for you, when you do not see your heirs holding it. But there nothing of this kind is to be suspected; the possession remains unmoved, for you and your children and your descendants, if they show the same virtue. Christ takes hold of that building; for one who builds that house there is no need of overseers, nor of taking thought or being anxious. For when God undertakes the work, what need is there of care? He gathers everything together and raises the house. And not only is this wonderful, but that he builds it as is pleasing to you, or rather beyond what pleases you and beyond what you wish. For he is the best of craftsmen, and cares greatly for your interests. Even if you are poor and wish to build this house, it brings you no envy, nor does it breed malice against you. For none of those who know how to envy sees it, but angels, who know how to rejoice at your good things; no one will be able to encroach on its boundaries, for none of those sick with such things lives beside it. You have as neighbors there the saints: Paul and Peter and their company, all the prophets, the martyrs, the people of the angels and archangels. For all these reasons, then, let us empty what we have on the poor, so that we may attain those dwellings; may we all attain them, by the grace and love for humankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom be glory to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, to the ages of ages. Amen.